In general, a refrigerator is adapted to preserve foods stored therein for a long time without modifying the foods as air in the refrigerator is cooled by using a cooling cycle.
The refrigerator includes a body for defining a receiving space divided into a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment therein, and doors mounted to one side of the body, for opening/closing the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment. A machine apparatus including a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and the like, for forming a freezing cycle is provided in the body.
An icemaker may be installed in a freezing compartment, and an example of such an icemaker is disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2006-0007245 (hereinafter, referred to as ‘the related art’).
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the icemaker according to the related art includes an ice making unit 8 mounted to an upper portion of an inner side of a freezing compartment F to making supplied water into ice pieces by using cooling air in the freezing compartment F, an ice bank 9 mounted to an inner side of the freezing compartment F so that the ice pieces made by the ice making unit 8 can be separated and contained therein, a dispenser 10 mounted to the freezing compartment door 4, for withdrawing the ice pieces to the outside without opening/closing the freezing compartment door 4, and an ice chute 11 for guiding the ice pieces contained in the ice bank 9 so that the ice pieces drop into the dispenser 10.
The ice making unit 8 includes a tray 12 formed of aluminum, for containing water for ice making to make ice pieces having a predetermined shape, a water supply unit 14 for supplying water into the tray 12, a separation lever 16 for separating the ice pieces made in the tray 12, a slider 20 for dropping the ice pieces separated by the ice separating lever 16 into the ice bank 9, and a control unit 22 for controlling supply of water to the water supply unit 14 and controlling the ice separating lever 16.
The ice separating lever 16 is configured such that a shaft 16a thereof crosses a central upper side of the tray 12, and a plurality of pins 16b for pushing out ice pieces protrude from a side surface of the shaft 16a. 
Although not shown, an ice separating heater (not shown) is mounted to a lower end of the tray 12 to heat ice pieces made in the tray 12 and easily separate the ice pieces through the ice separating lever 16.
However, electric power of the icemaker for a refrigerator according to the related art is interrupted if the ice separating heater reaches a predetermined temperature, but only after completion of ice making.
Accordingly, since the made ice pieces are separated from the tray when electric power of the ice separating heater is interrupted early due to various conditions, the ice separating lever compulsorily performs an ice separating operation, causing a breakdown due to a damage, and when electric power of the ice separating heater is interrupted after lapse of a predetermined time from the completion of ice making, a safety accident may be generated due to an overheat and much electric power may be consumed.
Further, if ice pieces are unnaturally stacked in the ice bank, a full state may be continuously repeated as the full state cannot be detected even in the case of a full state, and an operation of the ice maker is finally stopped by the ice pieces.
Meanwhile, a full state lever installed in a cantilever of an icemaker, for identifying an amount of ice pieces and operating or stopping an ice maker has been developed and used.